Exercise during pregnancy

Pregnancy is a very important and responsible period. Everything should fade into the background, only safety and health should be a priority. This is not the time for sports achievements, performance growth, figure improvement and weight loss, but it is also not a reason to start yourself up by going to bed. If everything is going well, there is no reason to stay at home.

I’ll tell you about the rules for conducting training during the period of expectation of a child, I want to warn you that all recommendations apply only to healthy women whose pregnancy proceeds without complications. Even if you have no contraindications, before starting training need to consult a doctorwhich you are observing.

There is a rule: when drawing up an activity plan for a future mother, we take into account her previous sports experience and reduce the intensity of her usual training by 80%.

If you have been going to fitness stably 4-5 times a week for many years, then we can talk about the usual workouts, provided that their intensity is reduced by 80%. You should also exclude contraindicated movements and add work with a trainer who has been trained to work with women in position.

But if only a dusty club card connects you with fitness, pregnancy is not a reason to start a sports career. Walk in the park, go to yoga for pregnant women, learn breathing techniques, that’s enough. You will have time to become a fitness mom later.

1 trimester (1-12 weeks)

Any activity is excluded, except for walks in the fresh air and general activity during the day. It is during this period that the foundations of the health of the unborn child are laid, key organs and systems are formed. It is very important to carefully monitor your well-being.

You should refrain from the following loads:

• running, jumping, cycling;
• high-intensity loads;
• fast and abrupt movements (body changes in space);
• high-amplitude movements;
• static work in a difficult position (for example, plank);
• all movements that involve the abdominal muscles.

2 trimester (13-24 weeks)

From the second trimester, after consulting a doctor, it is permissible to introduce simple workouts. However, a number of areas and movements remain banned:

• any impact loads (running, jumping);
• bicycle, ellipsoid, stepper;
• any exercises on the press;
• high intensity training;
• training with weights, any exercises with straining;
• workouts with monotonous “shaking” movements;
• high-amplitude movements and abrupt changes in body position in space;
• static difficult work associated with the need to hold a long posture;
• exercises lying on the right side;
• axial load on the spine;
• hip flexion.

3 trimester (25-40 weeks)

In the third trimester, all the same restrictions apply that were in the second, plus one more rule: 60% of the exercises are performed in a sitting position, and only 30% are allowed while standing.

What kind of training to choose?

It is best to practice in special classes for expectant mothers, where all restrictions and contraindications are already taken into account: yoga, Pilates, water aerobics for pregnant women. Now such classes are offered both by fitness clubs and specialized studios. In the cardio zone, give preference to calm walking on the treadmill without tilting and changing the structure of intensity.

How to choose a coach?

The trainer must have a certificate allowing training specifically for pregnant women. Not all specialists can competently conduct classes for women in position.

A competent coach will always ask what trimester it is now, how the mass is gaining (corresponds to, behind or ahead of the medical norm), asks for a waybill before starting training.

If you work with him regularly, he will constantly ask questions about well-being, the course of pregnancy and the recommendations of doctors to make sure that everything is fine with health.

A good trainer will never offer to go on a diet and cut food, will not give recommendations on the choice of products. Only a doctor can give you nutritional advice!

About nutrition

If you are actively exercising during pregnancy, you cannot create a calorie deficit. Everything spent must be replenished. A competent trainer has information on the energy consumption of each workout (special calculation methods and tables of energy consumption of each activity per kilogram of weight), which should be asked from him.

And finally, another universal rule that must be followed throughout pregnancy. If you experience discomfort, pain, or unusual sensations, stop activity immediately and contact your doctor.